Film splicer



F. C. GRISWOLD. FILM SPLICER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10. 1920- 1,4;13,269, Patented Apr. 18, 1922 ZIP iimlliii 15 RuenZaw 17 QUDDIFDOUUD 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

F. C. GRISWOLD. v

FILM S PLICER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I0, 1920.

llllllf WWW/AW Iizver F:- %m M44 UNITED STATES repurchases.-.

FREDERICK CLARK GRISWOLD, 0F roE'r JErEEnsoN, NEW roux, AssIe on a emswom), or ronr JEFFERSON, NEw Yoax.

To. OLIVE FILM sriLIoEE.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 10, 1920. Serial No. 409,319.

ments in film splicing machines whereby the film sections may be easily and rapidly prepared for splicing and spliced without shiftmg the film sections lengthwise, means being employed'to so trim the ends of the film sections as to leave overlapping matched portions.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a plan view of the ma chine with one of the film clamps lowered.

and the other one raised.

Fig. 2 represents a section 'on line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a section on line III-III- of Fig. 1, with the further film clamp lowered.

Fig. 4 representsthe machine in perspectiye with the parts in the positions shown in Fig. 1, after the projectlng end of one of the film sections has been trimmed by theknife on the film clamp which is shown raised.

Fig. 5 represents an enlarged longitudinal vertical section taken on line Y'-V of Fig. 1, with both film clamps lowered for splicing the overlapping ends of two film sections.

Fig. 6 represents a transverse section taken I on line V-IVI of Fig? 5, with the upper jaw of the "further clamp member raised and the lower jaw lowered.

"Fig. 7 represents the trimmed end of one film section in bottom plan with the cement applied thereto, and the trimmed end of the adjacent fihn section in top plan with the emulsion removed therefrom. V

Fig. 8 represents a top plan view of both 'film' sections after the overlapping ends have been brought together.

The base of he machine is denoted by 1. Lugs 2, 3, 4, 5 uprise from the base at the backthereof, which lugs form supports for a bar 6. l

A double shear block 7 is seated at its rear end between the lugs 3 and 4 and at front end between the lugs 8 and 9. This shear Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

block 5 has a fiat horizontal top face. .Be-

tween the lugs 3 and-4: is hinged a presser bar 10 having a yielding fiat face 11 arranged to be brought into engagement with the tdp face ofthe shear block 7 when the presser baris lowered. A latch bar-12 is hinged to the front of. the base 1 in position to engage the free end of the presser bar 10 when the presser bar is lowered between the lugs 8 and9 which act as guides for the bar. The shape of the hook 13 of the latch bar is such as to exert a cam-like action on the freev end of-the presser barto force itinto snug engagement with the shear block. Inthe present instance, this latch bar is mounted on a bar 14 supportedin lugs 15, 16; the colhrs 17 18 beinginterposed'between the latch bar and lugs. The latch bar has a slight yielding movement with the bar 14 to permit the latch bar to give sufiiciently to adapt it to films of varying thicknesses. The film clamps are hinged on the bar 6, one on each I side of the presser bar 10,- between the lugs 2,

3, and 4, 5, respectively. Adjustable stops 19, 20 are pivoted on .the base in position to support the clamps in their lowered position with the top faces of theirlower jaws 21, 22

flush with the top face of the shear block 7. Adjustable stops 23, 24 are located 'on the base at the back thereof in' positionto enjaws 25, 26 respectively of gage the upper the film clamps.

The presser-bar l0 has a lost motion connection with the upper jaw 26 of the clamp 22, which lost motion connectionis herein shown as provided for by a pin 27 and a slot 28.

The lower jaws -2l, 22 of thefilm clamps are provided with suitable handles 29, 30, respectively, and the upper jaws 25, 26am provided with suitable handles 3.1 32 re spectively. The handles '31, 32 are provided with spring catches 33, 34,'which serve the double function of locking the two jaws' of each clamp together and of locking the clamps to' their respective adjustable stops 19 and 20. The lower jaws 21, 22 of the clamps are respectively provided with shear "plates 35, 36, which arearranged to coact with their adjacent edges ofthe shear block 7 for trimming 011' the rough projecting ends of adjacent film sections to be united, as will herelnafter more full appear.

, The lower jaws o the clamps are'channeled along their upper faces to. rovideguides for the film sections and the lower jawsare provided with registering pins 37, 88for engaging the perforations along that side of the film sections. The upper jaws 25, 26 of the clamps have holes for receiving these registering pins when the jaws are .scraped off from the film section, and second,

to prevent the spreading'of the cement along the film section beyond the overlapping ends of the film sections. 3

Lighting means, such for instance, as an electric lamp 41 is mounted inthe base of the machine beneath the shear block and clamps. This light will materially assist in the proper matchingup of the filmsections' and also in manipulating the same.

In splicing the film sections together, several cycles of operations may be employed. For instance, presuming the film sections are to be spliced with the emulsion side upperinost, the cycle of operations may be as fol ows:

The film clamp 21, 25 may be swung back out of the way. The upper jaw26, of the other clamp, together with the presser bar 10 is raised and the film section is placed in the lower jaw 22 with its end projecting beyond the shear block 7 sufficiently to bring the cross line of one of the picture divisions over the top face of the shear block. The upper Saw 26 and presser bar 10 are then lowere The film clamp 21, 25 j is then swung downwardly, thus causing its cutter plate 35 to shear off the portion of the film which projects beyond the shear block. The film clamp 22, 26 is then raised as is also the upper jaw 25 of the other clamp. The other film section is then placed in the lower jaw 21 with its end projecting beyond the shear block 7 and with the cross line of one of the picture divisions located on the top face of the shear block. The upper jaw 25 is then closed. The clamp 22, 26 is then lowered, causing its cutter plate 36 to coact with the shear block 7 to trim off the portion of the film projecting beyond the shear block. This will leave the ends of the two film sec tions overlapping on the top face of the shear block. The clamp 22, 26 may then be swung back, together with the presser bar 10'. The emulsion may then be removed from the top surface of the projecting end of the film section held by'the clamp 21, 25, the combined spring guard and guide 39 serving to prevent the-emulsion being removed too far back from the end. The

cement may then be applied to the exposed surface of the lowered film section, the combined guard and guide preventing the cement from spreading too far back from the end; The film clamp 22, 26, together with the presser bar may then be lowered, bringing the exposed portion of this film section onto the exposed portion of the film section held by the clamp 21, 25. The free end of the presser bar 10 may then be engaged by the cam latch 12 to force the yields ing face of the presser bar snugly into engagement with the overlapped ends of the two film sections. The parts may be maintained in this position sufficiently long to permit the ends to be firmly united, after which the upper jaws of the two clamps, together with the presser bar 10 may be thrown back to permit the removal of the united film sections.

The spring catches 33, 34 will not lift the flowerjaws when the upperjaws and presser bar 10 are raised, the lower jaws, together with the mended film sections remaining in their lowered position. When it is desired to raise the lower jaws either by themselves or with their upper jaws, the handles of'the lower jaws may be used.

The function of the yielding face of the presser bar is to ensure an even pressure along the. overlapping ends of the film sections even should they vary in thickness.

While the operation of the machine has been described in connection with uniting severed ends of two film sections, it is obvious that it might as well be employed for cutting out a portion of a film and joining the remaining portions or it might be used for joining the ends of two different films.

It will be seen from the above description that the film sections are controlled absolutely from the beginning of the cycle of op erations without any tendency of the film sections to shift.

It will also be seen that the matching up of the film sections can be done very rapidly and that after the two ends have been trimmed, they are already overlapped, thus obviating the necessity of shifting the film sections endwise before they are united.

It will also be seen that one or both of the film clamps may be swung into and out of engagement with the shear block as desired, thus permitting ready preparation of the film sections for splicing without the necessity of rolling back one or both ends for treatment.

It'will be noted that the cutter blades are carried by the film clamps themselves rather than by a separate operative device, the shear block servingboth to coact with the shear blades and also with the presser bar .in the cycle of o erations.

rangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to be limited to the details herein shown and described, but What I claim is:

1. In a film splicer, a shear block, a film carrying clamp arranged to move the film into and out of engagement with the block, means carried by the clamp arranged to coact with the shear block for trimming the end of the film, and a combined guard and guide carried by said clamp.

2. In a film splicer, a double shear block, a pair of film carrying clamps located on 0pposite sides of the block, each clamp being arranged to move a film section into and out of engagement withthe block, means carried by the clamp arranged to coact with the shear block for trimming the ends of the film sections, and a combined guard and guide carried by one of the clamps.

3. In a film splicer, a shear block, a film clamp comprising upper and lower jaws, a stop, and a common means for locking the jaws together and to the stop.

4. In a film splicer, a shear block, a film clamp comprising upper and lower jaws, a stop, and means carried by the upper jaw for locking the jaws together and to the stop.

5. In a film splicer, a double shear block,

a pair of film carrying clamps located on opposite sides of the block, each clamp comprising upper and lower jaws, stops for the clamps, and a common means'for locking the jaws of each clamp together and to its stop.

In a film splicer,a double shear block,

a pair of film carrying clamps located on opposite sides of the block, each clamp comprising upper and lower jaws, stops for'the clamps, and means carried by the upper jaw of each clamp .for locking the jaws of the clamps together and to their stops.

7. In a film splicer, a double shear block, film clamps on opposite sides of the block having cutting edges for trimming the ends vof the film sections held by the clamps, and

a the film sections together on the shear block.'

9. In a film splicer, a double shear block, film clamps on opposite sides of the block having cutting edges for trimming the ends of the film sections held by the clamps,-each clamp comprising upper and lower jaws, a presser bar having a lost motion connection with the upper jaw of one of the clamps for pressing the overlapping ends of the film sections together on the shear block, and a vcombined guard andvguide carried by the upper jaw of the other clamp. n testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name, this eighth day of September, 1920.

FREDERICK CLARK GRISWOLD. 

